Last week Rob Vandermark contacted me, wondering if I would be interested in the shorter version of the DUTODARI after having participated in one of the late evening equipment test rides. Here is my reply:
"I did see the short option and it is much more appealing to me. I don't think I have the legs for a long ride right now, or in a couple of weeks. One bigger concern, that my wife shares, is me riding alone for the night. I'd love to find a group that I could be compatible with but realize that would be hard to find. While I really enjoyed the ride a couple of weeks ago, I also saw that that group was faster than me and while I more or less successfully hung on, I certainly couldn't do it for the full ride and very likely not even for the shorter, camp out version. The other more pedestrian concern is the expensive GPS. I bought the inexpensive Garmin for Highpoint and think that was a good idea for that ride and have enjoyed having it since. The 1000 is just beyond my means right now. I do think a Garmin with a map is the right decision for the ride but having one is not priority other riding that I may do.
So the short answer is that unless I come up with a team I'm very unlikely to join the ride. I do think it's a great idea and a great deal but not for me this summer. By the way, I believe I had contact with a little poison ivy on the ride, at least I have some major itching on my legs. The sad story is that I have otherwise not been allergic all my life - I walked through patches poison ivy many times. I guess I have had too much exposure. So life goes."
And that's that. It really is a great idea for a ride, at least one that resonates with me, but I have to be realistic. I just don't get out all that much. I think I rode about 240 miles in the last couple of weeks: 2 early Sunday 50 milers at a relaxed pace (just over 15 MPH averages) and the rest commuting miles. I'm going for some more early AM work day rides but those aren't always possible with my wife's new schedule. In any case, I'm about out of time for this year's version of the ride. But there is always next year.
Oh, and that poison ivy thing ... what a bummer. I once was impervious and walked through waist high patches of the stuff and through poison oak. But no more.
"I did see the short option and it is much more appealing to me. I don't think I have the legs for a long ride right now, or in a couple of weeks. One bigger concern, that my wife shares, is me riding alone for the night. I'd love to find a group that I could be compatible with but realize that would be hard to find. While I really enjoyed the ride a couple of weeks ago, I also saw that that group was faster than me and while I more or less successfully hung on, I certainly couldn't do it for the full ride and very likely not even for the shorter, camp out version. The other more pedestrian concern is the expensive GPS. I bought the inexpensive Garmin for Highpoint and think that was a good idea for that ride and have enjoyed having it since. The 1000 is just beyond my means right now. I do think a Garmin with a map is the right decision for the ride but having one is not priority other riding that I may do.
So the short answer is that unless I come up with a team I'm very unlikely to join the ride. I do think it's a great idea and a great deal but not for me this summer. By the way, I believe I had contact with a little poison ivy on the ride, at least I have some major itching on my legs. The sad story is that I have otherwise not been allergic all my life - I walked through patches poison ivy many times. I guess I have had too much exposure. So life goes."
And that's that. It really is a great idea for a ride, at least one that resonates with me, but I have to be realistic. I just don't get out all that much. I think I rode about 240 miles in the last couple of weeks: 2 early Sunday 50 milers at a relaxed pace (just over 15 MPH averages) and the rest commuting miles. I'm going for some more early AM work day rides but those aren't always possible with my wife's new schedule. In any case, I'm about out of time for this year's version of the ride. But there is always next year.
Oh, and that poison ivy thing ... what a bummer. I once was impervious and walked through waist high patches of the stuff and through poison oak. But no more.
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